


hand in unlovable hand

by starcrash



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Character Death, F/M, Song: No Children (Mountain Goats)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 11:00:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24349915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starcrash/pseuds/starcrash
Summary: I am drowning. There is no sign of land. You are coming down with me, hand in unlovable hand. (And I hope you die. I hope we both die.)
Relationships: Akaba Ray/Zarc
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	hand in unlovable hand

"I won't let it happen again! I'll seal Zarc myself!"

A golden light arced through the air as Ray's spirit made her way towards Zarc, still hiding behind the face of his reincarnation. No longer would she allow him to wreak havoc, to destroy lives, to destroy the world. So many had suffered because of him, terrorized by his bloodlust and appetite to reach greater heights of destruction and warped entertainment. He wished to punish those who had treated him as a circus doll, who had demanded he pushed past his limits, but his revenge was indiscriminate. He was suffering itself.

(So many had suffered because of her, too. Her sacrifice had started a war that left countless trapped, lost, traumatized, perhaps some even dead. Who knows how many souls had gone into ARC-V before it completed? How many cards were absorbed forever? She did not ask for this, and she was sure her father knew deep down that she would never have wanted it, but she felt the burden of those sins upon her shoulders nonetheless. Their suffering _was_ for her sake.)

Ray's hands met Zarc's temples, holding his face between her ethereal hands. Concentrating deeply, she could hone out his presence among the cacophony of his reincarnations resonating. She focused on him alone, drawing him towards the front, the spiritual power of her Natural Energy cards beginning to hum inside her being. They were ready to finish their job.

"Zarc," she breathed, her righteous anger giving way to an emotion she could not identify. Pity? Compassion? Empathy? She dared not think about it further than that. This was not the time for such emotions, yet after this there would be no more time for any emotions at all.

"I'm going to free you, Zarc. You don't have to hurt anyone anymore. You don't have to be a slave to the peoples' wishes anymore. You can rest... it's over. It's all over."

As she spoke, the Natural Energy began humming louder, sending ripples out from her being. Zarc's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. This was not merely a fracturing effect like the one he had experienced so long ago; the energy was penetrating his very being, ripping him apart and dissolving his grip on his reincarnations.

_

No one knows what happened between them next.

Maybe Zarc grabbed Ray's arm as he was falling apart, letting the energy flow from him into her, splitting her apart.

Perhaps it was his last act of revenge.

Perhaps it was mercy.

Maybe Zarc said, "If I'm going, so are you. If I'm dying, so are you. If you want to destroy me, I will destroy you as well."

Maybe Ray didn't resist.

Maybe Ray said, "Okay."

Maybe Ray said, "Of course."

Maybe Ray said, "You didn't think I'd considered any other ending, did you? I can feel you. You can feel me. We both knew things would end this way eventually."

Maybe Ray said, "Even if you hadn't, I would've. I'm not going to let you be alone. You've been alone for too long, and look what it's done to you. Weren't you doing all of this because you had nothing besides your adoring fans? Didn't you just want someone to care?"

( _I would have cared,_ she'd have thought to herself. _If I'd had the chance. But there are others who will take up that role now. Our reincarnations are in good hands_.)

Perhaps she said all of these things. Perhaps she said nothing at all. Perhaps they simply locked eyes and silently dissolved into the ether.

The shattered fragments became whole. The dimensions broke free from their twisted fusion, and all eight counterparts returned safely home.

_

In another life, Ray wraps her arms around Zarc.

"Zarc... if you ever need me, I'm here."

It's their chance to try again.

**Author's Note:**

> What if, instead of being trapped in Reira and turning her into an infant, Ray and Zarc simply passed on together? Just a concept.


End file.
